Cross-over device for rod mill repeaters



June 15, 1.954 F. J. ARTAC, JR

CROSS-OVER DEVICE FOR ROD MILL REPEATERS Filed April 11, 1952 Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STA ATENT OFFICE CROSS-OVER DEVICE FOR ROD MILL REPEATERS Frank J. Artac, Jr., Joliet, Ill., assignor to United States Steel Corporation,

Jersey a corporation of New 4 Claims. 1 This invention relates to improvements in rod mill repeaters, and particularly to a cross-over device for carrying rods across the troughs of a repeater to a loop run-out floor.

In multi-strand continuous rod mills the last few roll stands often are situated side by side. In the operation of such a mill, the leading end of each rod must be looped back from the exit end of the first roll stand into the entry end of the succeeding stand. The elongation which the two roll stands produce in the rod elongates the loop considerably before its trailing end emerges from the first stand, and it is usual to provide a run-out floor between the roll stands for supporting this loop. Modern mills are equipped with repeaters which comprise a series of semicircular troughs at the end of the run-out floor adjacent the two roll stands. One of these troughs receives each rod as it emerges from the first roll stand and automatically loops it around so that it can enter the succeeding stand. Subsequently the loop jumps out of the top of the trough and builds up on the portion of the run-out fioor beyond the repeater. One difiiculty in operating such mills is that loops jumping from the inner troughs of the repeater sometimes drop into one of the outer troughs and become snarled. Usually rods overlap, and if a loop drops into a trough which is carrying the leading end of another rod, a cobble can form.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in combination with a rod mill repeater, a cross-over device which allows rod loops to jump freely out of their troughs but prevents their dropping into other troughs.

A further object is to provide a cross-over device of simple construction which can be installed on existing repeaters with only minor alterations therein.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a portion oi a rod mill, the repeater or" which is equipped with a cross-over device embodying features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale of a portion of the repeater;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on a still larger scale taken on line IIIIII of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a portion of a multi-strand rod mill that comprises two roll stands 1c and I2 situated side by side, a run-out between said stands, and a repeater M for carrying rods R from stand it) to stand E2. The roll stands provide several alternative passes for the rods, in this instance four, and the repeater has a corresponding number of troughs i5, I6, I7 and i8, which are approximately semicircular in plan and extend from the exit end of stand If! to the entry end of stand I2. After one of the repeater troughs carries a rod between the stands, the loop in the rod commences to elongate and jumps out of the trough on to the portion l3a of the run-out floor is beyond the repeater. When rods jump out of any of the inner troughs l5, l8 and H, they must cross one or more other troughs before reaching this portion of the run-out floor. According to the present invention, the three outer troughs I6, ll and I8 are equipped with cross-over devices i9 (Figure 2), which prevent rods R dropping into these troughs as they cross, and yet do not interfere with a rod as it jumps out of its own trough.

Figures 3 and 4 show on a larger scale one set of the cross-over devices l9. At the location of these devices the walls of the troughs have an enlarged cross-section and flare upwardly, as indicated at 20, and the upper faces of these walls slope inwardly. The enlargements in the walls contain vertical bores 2i Each cross-over device is comprises a rod bent to inverted L-shape and providing vertical and horizontal arms 22 and 23. The vertical arms 22 are rotatably received in bores 2i. Torsion springs 24 encirclethe lower ends of arms 22 and urge the cross-over'devices to a position where their horizontal arms 23 bridge the trough. The upper face of each of the walls between troughs is cut away, as indicated at 25 (Figure 4), to enable the cross-over devices to pivot forwardly against the action of their springs 24 and to form a stop 26 which the horizontal arm 23 engages to limit the rearward position of the device.

I find it is necessary to employ only two sets of these cross-over devices for each repeater. One such set is located just beyond the points where the loops jump out of the repeater trouglis. The second set is located about 30 beyond the first set. Nevertheless it is apparent that additional sets of cross-over devices could be used if desired.

In operation, as a rod R jumps out of any of the inner troughs l5, [6 or I! to the portion Isa of floor l3 beyond the repeater, it rides on the horizontal arms 23 of the cross-over devices [9 as it crosses the outer troughs. These cross-over devices thus prevent the rod from dropping into one of the outer troughs. When a rod jumps out of one of the troughs iii, IT or IS which is equipped with a cross-over device, the force of the rod against the horizontal arm 23 pivots the device forwardly against the action of its spring 2%, Thus the rod moves easily out of its trough without interference.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the present invention afiords a cross-over device of exceedingly simple construction and yet fully efiective for preventing rods, dropping into repeater troughs as they cross. This device can be installed on existing repeaters with but minor a1- terations.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to thedisclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. The combination, with a rod mill repeater having outward and inward troughs and an upstandin wall therebetween, said troughs being upwardly open and approximately semicircular in plan, of a cross-over device comprising an arm mounted on said wall for pivotal movement on a vertical axis and adapted to bridge said outward trough, and yieldable means normally holding said arm in its bridging position but permitting saidarm to pivot forwardly in the direction of rod travel out of the way of rods leaving said outward trough.

2. The combination, with a rod mill repeater having outward and inward troughs and an upstanding wall therebetween, said troughs being upwardly open and approximately semicircular in plane, of a cross-over device comprising an arm pivoted to said wall for movement on a vertical axis and adapted to bridge said outward trough, and a spring connecting said arm and said repeat 1 and normally holding said arm in its bridging position, but bein yieldable to permit said arm to pivot forwardly in the direction 4 of rod travel out of the way of rods leaving said outward trough.

3. The combination, with a rod mill repeater havin outward and inward troughsand an upstanding wall therebetween, said troughs being upwardly open and approximately semicircular in plan, of a cross-over device comprising an arm pivotally mounted on said wall and adapted to turn on a vertical axis and having a position in which it bridges said outward trough, a stop formed on said wall on the rearward side of said arm and with which said arm is engageable in its bridging positon, and a spring connecting said arm and said repeater and urging said arm rearwardly into engagement with said stop, but being yieldable to permit said arm to pivot forwardly away from said stop and in the direction of rod travel out of the way of rods leaving said outward trough.

4. The combination, with a rod mill repeater having outward and inward troughs and an upstanding wall therebetween, said troughs being upwardly open and approximately semicircular in plan, of a cross-over device comprising an arm pivoted to said wall beyond the point where rods normaliy move out of the troughs and adapted to turn on a vertical axis and having a position in which it bridges said outward trough, a stop formed on said wall on the rearward side of said arm and with which said arm is engageable in its bridging position, and a spring connecting said arm and said repeater and urging arm rearwardly into engagement with said stop, but being yieldable to permit said arm to pivot forwardly away from said stop in the direction of rod travel to move out of the way of rods leaving said outward trough.

. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 760,858 Edwards May 24, 1904 1,977,666 Boedeker M Oct. 23', 1334 

